Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Takayuki Aihara

Makoto Yoshinaga

Toshio Shinohara

Ikuo Tawara

Shinroku Sogi

Kazuo Kawakami

Yawara Nagai

Tadashi Morokuma

Hajime Sakuma

Masaichi Kitajima

Kiyoshi Hori

A device for injecting a fixed quantity of sample liquid is provided with a unit for aspirating and injecting sample liquid. The sample aspirating and injection unit has a nozzle connecting portion. The liquid injection device is provided with an injection nozzle attached to and detachable from the nozzle connecting portion of the sample aspirating and injecting unit and electrodes are attached to the injection nozzle. Conductive members which are electrically connected to the electrodes of the injection nozzle are attached to the nozzle connecting portion of the sample aspirating and injecting unit, and a detecting unit which cooperates with the electrodes to detect the surface level of sample liquid is connected to the conductive members.

Device for aspirating a fixed quantity of liquid

A liquid transfer apparatus for use in an automatic analyzer successively transfers a number of liquid vessels in a continuous manner to a liquid pick up station where a probe of a liquid distributor is used to perform a liquid analysis and inserts by interruption a specified liquid vessel holding specified liquid such as an emergent test sample into the liquid pick up station when necessary to perform an analysis in an emergency by interruption during a normal operation.

Liquid transfer apparatus for automatic analyzers

A cuvette for use in an automatic chemical analyzer is formed of molded transparent plastic material, the cuvette having a flat box construction made of main walls, side walls and a bottom. Entrance and exit windows for a measuring light beam are formed in the side walls in such a manner the windows are recessed inwardly with respect to the side walls. A number of such cuvettes are arranged in a magazine and a plurality of such magazines are set in an automatic cuvette loader for supplying the cuvettes in a reaction line one by one. The automatic cuvette loader has a first slider for moving the magazines stocked in a container into a cuvette loading position one by one and for pushing the cuvettes in the magazine in a direction perpendicular to a discharging direction and a second slider for pushing a cuvette array in the cuvette discharging direction so as to discharge the cuvettes one by one through an outlet formed in the magazine.

Automatic cuvette loading apparatus

Container for a sample of liquid serum or the like

Cuvette for a sample of liquid serum or the like

An automatic chemical analyzer comprising a turntable is disclosed which holds a number of cuvettes containing test liquids to be analyzed and is rotated about a center axis step by step at a given repetition rate, a panchromatic light source is arranged to project radially a measuring light beam from the center axis to the cuvettes, and a light detector is arranged in the center axis to receive the measuring light beam transmitted through the test liquid via prisms. A rotating filter holder is arranged in front of the light detector to insert given filter elements into the measuring light beam path so as to effect colorimetric measurement with desired wavelengths.

Apparatus for effecting automatic analysis

A liquid feeder comprises a liquid suction and delivery pump which withdraws a liquid such as a culture solution, buffer solution, enzyme solution or the like which is retained in a liquid storage container as refrigerated or at a reduced temperature and delivers it through a flexible tube for injection into a culture vessel located within an incubator. The tube is inserted into an inner pipe and is sealingly secured thereto. The inner pipe is detachably and hermetically mounted in an outer pipe which extends through and is secured to a wall forming an environment isolating layer of the incubator. An eccentric crankpin which is driven by a motor is connected through a link with another crankpin having a greater eccentricity, the latter crankpin being driven for rotation to cause a reciprocatory rotating motion of a driven shaft about its own axis through an angular extent of less than 180.degree.. The motion of the driven shaft is effective to selectively switch the discharge port of a pair of liquid supply tubes to a position over a single vessel. The motor also drives a cam which causes a vertical motion of a drive shaft which is also angularly driven by a cam groove, the drive shaft being effective to cause a three dimensional motion of the discharge port of a single liquid supply tube for injection into a pair of vessels.

Liquid feeder for automatic culture apparatus

A liquid feeder comprises a motor which drives a cam causing a vertical motion of a drive shaft which is also angularly driven by a cam groove, the drive shaft being effective to cause a three dimensional motion of the discharge port of a single liquid supply tube for injection into a pair of vessels.

An apparatus for liquid disposal and distribution in automatic culture system comprises a first turntable carrying a plurality of culture vessels disposed in an array on a common circle thereon, and a second turntable carrying a plurality of centrifuge tubes disposed in an array on a common circle thereof. The apparatus comprises a pipette holding arm which is disposed so that its free end is angularly movable between one of the culture vessels and one of the centrifuge tubes. The free end of the arm has attached thereto a tapered cylinder which detachably receives a pipette. A fixed displacement pump is connected with the cylinder, which is movable along the path of rotation, along which are disposed a pipette holder, a pipette remover and a liquid disposal pot. The apparatus also comprises a rotary and elevating mechanism associated with the arm. In this manner, the apparatus is capable of transferring a specimen being cultured from a culture vessel to a centrifuge tube, distributing grown cells from the tube into culture vessels and disposing unnecessary liquid. In addition, the apparatus is capable of agitating a culturing solution within the culture vessel to render the cells into suspension.

Apparatus for liquid disposal and distribution in automatic culture

An apparatus for handling a centrifuge tube in an automatic culture system includes a centrifuge, above which is disposed a centrifuge tube carrying turntable which is intermittently driven through a given angular increment. Disposed at an equal spacing on and around the periphery of the turntable are centrifuge tube holder mechanisms each carrying a centrifuge tube holder. Also disposed in surrounding relationship with the turntable and at given positions where the latter comes to a stop are a plurality of processing stations including a centrifuge delivery unit which automatically delivers a centrifuge tube into the holder, a liquid disposal unit for disposing unnecessary culture solution from the centrifuge tube which has been subjected to the action of the centrifuge, a discharge unit for discharging a used centrifuge tube subsequent to the completion of the culturing operation, a transfer unit for transferring a centrifuge tube between the centrifuge holder mechanism and a holder receiver located within the centrifuge. As the turntable is incremently driven, the centrifuge tube is successively conveyed through a culture treatment and a centrifuge tube processing position.

Apparatus for handling centrifuge tubes in automatic culture system

An automatic culture apparatus includes an airtight casing, a culture vessel platform, a culture observation platform and a separation/distribution work platform disposed in layered configuration with suitable vertical spacings between them. A drive system for the apparatus comprises an opening formed centrally in each of the platforms; a culture vessel carrier for conveying a culture vessel to each of the platforms through the openings; a transfer arm for loading and unloading a culture vessel on or from the carrier and any one of the platforms; a first drive mechanism for operating the carrier and the transfer arm; and a second drive mechanism for driving any one of the platforms. The second drive mechanism is mounted hermetically in the casing. By operating suitable drive mechanisms to actuate the various parts, a culture vessel may be automatically transferred and distributed on each of the platforms without causing contamination in a safe and efficient manner, for automatic growth of the medium being cultured under an optimum environment.

Drive system for automatic culture apparatus

A detecting head for use in an apparatus for reading optically information recorded on a record carrier as a track or tracks comprising an optical system including a projection lens for projecting a light spot onto the track to be read and a device for detecting a relative position between the light spot and the track. The optical system further comprises a device for supporting the projection lens movably in a direction perpendicular to a track direction and a device for driving the projection lens in this direction. The projection lens is further moved in a direction parallel to the track or in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the projection lens.

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Takayuki Aihara